Second Chance
by Ligerlilly
Summary: Snape dies on the floor of the Shrieking Shack and wakes up in an alternate world where he is married to Lily. But this world is no safer then the last, and if he wants to keep those who he loves safe he must do what ever it takes.
1. Chapter 1

Snape lay in his own pool of blood, feeling the life being sucked out of him as a cold took its place. It hurt really badly, but he had felt worse. His end was near, but his life mission was not yet complete. He had one more promise to fulfill.

He tried to stop the bleeding, but it was futile. Not yet, not yet. Please, dear god, not yet. An angel answered his prayer as a sound made him look up and Harry Potter and his two friends appeared out of nowhere.

It was now or never. Snape grabbed onto Harry's robes and pulled him close. It took a second to be able to speak but when he could it came out as a gurgle, barely coherent.

"Take… it... take… it" he managed. Snape then went deep in his mind and found the memories he had hidden deep down inside, locked up so tight that Voldemort could use occlumency on him for days and he'd never even scratch the surface. He tried to pull only a few, but they all came flowing out, uncontrolled. They slipped from his mind and poured out.

Snape relived every moment in the flash of an eye as the Potter boy scrambled to collect them. The mistakes of his past along with the reasons he lived for, all pushed together. If the life in him wasn't already leaving, it would be now, as his heart could barely take it.

Suddenly they were all gone, and there was only one thing left on Snape's mind.

"Look… at… me…" he demanded, no, pleaded in a whisper.

The green eyes met his, and Harry faded away, leaving only green eyes, gentle, concerned, green eyes. The world around him turned black, and he thought of only one thing as he passed on.

_Lily._

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Snape awoke in a bed. It was soft, and the sheets were bunched up around him. They were soaked with sweat. He had been in so much pain, but now he felt… normal. His hand shot up to his neck, looking for the wound that had supposedly killed him, but instead his fingers met smooth skin.

He opened his eyes, confused, and immediately saw a pair of eyes staring into his. He froze. The eyes were dark. They belonged to the face of a little girl. She looked no older then eight and had a pale complexion and soft red hair. She was in a white nightgown with frills at the neck and sleeves. She looked like…

"Are you awake?" she asked him with a smile.

"Yes." He responded softly. She looked like… _Lily_…

"Mummy said the pancakes are ready." She said. Snape reached out and stroked her hair once before she ran away, giggling. She paused at the door and gave him a pout. "Hurry. My tummy is rumbly." She then disappeared; her little footsteps heard echoing down a hall as she scrambled away.

Snape watched her go. He could not describe what he was feeling, for he didn't even know. _Dream… this must be a dream…_

He sat up in the bed and looked around. He was in a bedroom, on top of a king-sized four poster bed.

The walls were cream colored with a green vine pattern with white paneling. The furniture was mismatched, but it didn't look shabby. Each piece looked distinct in its own way. The bed was covered in a dark green blanket with light green. They were bunched up on his side, the left side, leaving the right side bare. There was an imprint on the pillow on the right, showing someone else had been sleeping in this bed.

He got out of bed and found that he was not in his black robes but in light blue pajamas. He moved forward toward the cabinet on his side, which he assumed would have clothes, but stepped on something by accident. He looked down and saw a pair of slippers laid out carefully on the floor. They were his size.

Assuming they must be for him he slipped them on. A dark blue robe hung on the back of a half-open door, leading to a small bathroom. Snape put it on, briefly glancing into the bathroom. The mirror was steamed up. Someone had taken a shower in there recently. A tiny heart was drawn on the mirror, beads of water dripping down. Dream. This was definitely a dream.

Snape stepped out into the hall and glanced both ways before heading the direction the little girl had gone. He ended up at the top of a stair case. From below he could hear the noises of a kitchen and soft voices conversing. As he slowly made his way down the stairs he looked at the pictures lining the wall. The first one was of the little girl at age four, wearing a yellow sundress, smiling at the camera, twirling back and forth, swishing her skirt back and forth. The second was of him and… and Lily. They were standing side by side, his arm around her waist. They looked young, in their early twenties. Lily's head kept resting on his shoulder, and picture him wore the biggest grin, as if he could believe his luck.

In the next picture Lily and he we were in it again. They were even younger, wearing Hogwarts robes. They must have been in their seventh year. His green and silver tie clashed with her red and gold, but their hands were intertwined. Picture Snape was once again smiling, and continuously lifted Lily's hand to his mouth, giving it a kiss.

The next picture showed Lily, him, and a baby in the middle. The baby, who must be the little girl, had a pink bow on a bald head, was making spit bubbles at the camera, and both he and Lily looked back and forth between the baby and the camera.

The last picture hit Snape the hardest. It was him and Lily, once again, but this time she was in a wedding dress, and he in wedding dress robes. Unlike the others, he looked solely at Lily, and she stared right back at him. The love in both's eyes was undeniable. Snape stared hungrily at this photo, his hand reaching out to touch it, to confirm that it was real. The cold glass protect the photo was smooth. His hand was shaking. _This couldn't be true…_

A voice broke his trance. A voice he hadn't heard in almost twenty years. Quickening his pace he rushed to the source of the kitchen noises and froze a soon as he rounded the door.

The little girl, no, his daughter, sat at a small four-person table. She swung her legs back and forth as she poked at a syrupy stack of pancakes in front of her. She was mindlessly chattering between bites, shoveling pancakes in with one hand and drawing with a crayon with the other.

The kitchen had a cheery yellow theme to it, with spring green cabinets and sky blue trim. A fridge hummed quietly, covered in drawings and small photos. Next to a door leading to the backyard sat two dishes, one with water and the other with dry pellets. Pet food, or something. But what drew Snape's attention the most was a woman standing at the sink, washing dishes.

Her dark red hair cascaded down her back. She was thin and delicate, humming to herself. The ribbon of a pink apron was wrapped around her waist, and her wand tucked behind her ear. And the moment she turned around, Snape knew he was not dreaming. He was in heaven.

Lily smiled at him as she pulled off rubber gloves. "Look who's finally up. You okay? You were tossing and turning a lot last night." A pout crossed her face as she closed the distance between them and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I…" Snape trailed off, not sure what to say.

Lily's pout turned into a concerned frown. She pulled him to the table and pulled out a chair.

"Sit down and eat. I made pancakes and sausage. Maybe you'll feel better if you get something in you." Snape sat down, following her orders and watched as she walked back to the sink. As she put back on the gloves she looked back at him to notice he was still staring at her. "Oh come on," she teased at him, "Lay off. You know I like to do chores without magic. Keeps me grounded."

"I didn't say anything…" Snape quietly defended himself.

Lily gave him one of her looks she had given him many times in their childhood, the one with a raised eyebrow that she would give him when ever she caught him fumbling up words or saying something that she would usually respond with a 'really?' or and exasperated 'boys'. His heart skipped a beat. She turned back around and resumed the action of washing the dishes.

"Eat. We need to get ready if we want to get to Diagon Alley. Lucy needs new robes, she keeps outgrowing the old ones, the owl needs more food, and that new book by J. Scott is out. Oh and we also need more…" Lily continued to list of various supplies and items, but Snape tuned out. Something in him snapped and he couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and swooped across the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Lily, pulling her into an embrace.

Startled, she dropped the plate she was scrubbing. Snape put his face in the crook of her neck and drew in her scent, which was sweet and intoxicating. He squeezed her tightly, not wanting to let go, not wanting to wake up, knowing that if this was fake in anyway, he'd be done. She was his. His. Finally. As it should have been. She was here, alive, well, and not only breathing but his wife. He spun her around and kissed her full on the mouth, just as he had always dreamed. It was better then he could ever imagine. Soft and warm, and even better when she got over the surprise and kissed him back.

They pulled away at the sound of a squeal.

"Ewwwww! That's disgusting." His daughter (Lucy, her name must be), exclaimed.

Snape stared at her, his eyes stinging. He had a daughter. He had married the only girl he ever loved and had a child. He was a father, and Lily, a mother. The mother of his child. This was all too much.

"Honey, are you all right? You seem a little off this morning."

Snape looked back at Lily and his hand brushed against her cheek. "I'm fine. In fact, I think I'm better then I have ever been." He spoke, with absolute conviction. He kissed her again, reveling every moment of it. Lucy moaned and complained some more, but it just made his heart swell.

When he pulled away Lily pouted again and stared into his eyes. Her hand touched his forehead, probably checking for a fever. "Okay," she said carefully, he knowing she did not fully believe him.

"I'll eat now and get ready right away, then we'll go."

He ate his breakfast quickly, finding it delicious.

As he walked out of the kitchen to go get dressed he stopped at the doorway and turned to Lily, who had just finished the dishes and was wiping syrup off of Lucy's face.

He had to say it. He had to say those four words. If he didn't and anything happened, he would never be able to live with himself. He opened his mouth and spoke the one thing he ever knew to be true in his entire life.

"I love you, Lily."

"Love you too, Sev." She responded, a smile back on her face.

That was it. The one thing he had wished his whole life to hear. He could hold back the tears no longer and a wide grin broke out on his face.

**I was inspireed to write this story based on a picture I saw. I can't read the watermark, but the credit for the opening goes to them. Here are the directions to get to the picture I saw: imgur dot com slash VNfzX**

**I did not create this picture, nor do I own Harry Potter and it's characters. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**I've been working on another story and living the college life, but now I'm ready to dedicate time to working on this one! Join me on this journey as Snape adjusts to this alternate world where he finally has the girl of his dreams and a life he never dared to dream.**

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"**Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise" - Thomas Gray**

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"I love you, too, Dad!" Lucy chimed in. She squirmed out of Lily's grasp and ran across the kitchen and attached herself to Snape's leg. "I love you, too! I love you! Don't you love me, too?"

Obviously she didn't like being excluded. Snape looked down and her and ran his fingers through her hair. "Of course I do."

Snape picked her up and held her close to his waste, amazed that he had a daughter. She giggled as he raised her off the floor. She then frowned (a frown that looked so much like her mother's it almost scared him) and put her hand on his face, wiping up a tear. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm just really glad you love me." Snape told Lucy.

"Sev, take Lucy up to her room and make sure she gets ready." Lily asked. She had stopped clearing up the table and was watching him with concerned eyes.

"Of course. Whatever you say." Snape smiled, staring at her greedily one more time before leaving. He smiled at her reassuringly and she hesitantly smiled back.

He turned his attention back to their daughter, making sure he had a good grip on her before carrying her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. At the top he paused, unsure which door was Lucy's. Luckily, it wasn't hard. The door across the hall from his and Lily's room was covered in butterfly stickers.

Going with it, he opened that door and stepped into what he considered a cliché little girl's room. He set her down on the floor and she immediately walked over to her bed and started playing with a stuffed animal. Snape watched her, not sure what to do.

When he tried to help her get dressed she shrugged him of, telling him that she could do it herself. Snape had no idea how to deal with a kid. Was she, whatever age she was, the age where she could dress herself? Did he dress himself at that age? He thought he did, but he was always a very independent child, not by choice. Should he pick something out for her? Tie her shoes or… something?

A lot of his questions were answered when Lucy put down the stuffed animal and began dressing herself. She went over to a dresser and pulled out a drawer and picked out a pair of underwear. Snape shifted uncomfortably. Lucy put the pair on her bed and then walked back to the dresser, closed the drawer and opened a new one. She repeated this process until she had a whole outfit sprawled out on her bed.

She then told he should probably go get changed, too.

"If anyone other than mummy sees you in your pajamas, I'd die of embarrassment." She made a face.

Snape took that as a cue to leave. He made his way across the hall to his bedroom and walked over to the nearest wardrobe. Opening it he saw robes, shirts and… dresses. Blushing, he closed the doors and stepped back. Obviously it was not his. He tried the other and found it much more suiting. All the robes inside were more his size, but he was surprised to see they were not all black.

Black had always been a preferred robe color of his, partly because it was favorite color and that it suited him well, but for the last seventeen years it had meant more. It had been a symbol of mourning. It made sense in this world why he wouldn't need all black, since Lily was alive and, well, his wife.

It being hard to break habits, Snape reached at first for one of the hanging black robes but then changed his mind and went with a dark blue instead. He took a quick shower, and after a bit of searching through a mess of bottles, found he still had the shampoo he was used to using.

After the shower he changed, all the while keeping his eye on the door, unsure what he would do if Lily just walked in. When he was fully dressed he stood in front of the mirror like a foolish teen, checking out his appearance.

He looked young. Very young. The man who stared back at him through the mirror was not the man he had been. He was himself, all right, but this new Snape, this new him, was youthful and 'fresh'. He had the beginnings of crow's feet and some wrinkles, but not nearly as many had his face had before. His hair was about the same, maybe less greasy, and he was clean shaven. He must be biologically closer to thirty then forty, certainly not in his twenties, but definitely not almost forty.

The part of him that had changed the most was his eyes. They were the same old black they were before, but were lighter, softer then they had been for years. The pain was still there, since his mind was no different, but it was not as profound.

Even though Lily was here and alive, and that this seemed most certainly not to be a dream, she had still died and he still felt the crushing weight of her death being his fault. Whatever was happening, he planned to go with it. Lily was well, what more could he ask for?

Not wanting to dwell on it at the moment he moved away and something caught his eye. On the nightstand lay his wand. His wand! He had forgotten about it completely. He approached it and picked it up slowly, running his thumb over the smooth wood.

Thirteen-and-a-half inches, black walnut, dragon heartstring. Solid.

Placing it in his pocket, he headed back across the hall to check on his daughter. She was fully dressed and ready, so hand in hand they descended the stairs.

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Diagon Alley looked the same as ever. Well, the same as it did during peace time. During Voldemort's second rise to power it was even more miserable then it usually is. Shop after shop had been closed and ransacked, and very few people braved the streets, and when they did they traveled in packs. Beggars hung out on street corners and in alleys, wandless wizards with no where to go.

Now the streets were clogged with witches and wizards of all ages. Shopped were crowded, and laughter and gossiping filling the air. Snape was never one for crowds. He wanted to step back into the fireplace and go home but a warm hand on his arm pulled him forward.

Lily lead both him and Lucy through the crowds to the imposing marble building that towered over the rest. On the way to Gringotts Snape couldn't help but constantly glance at Lily, watching every movement, every facial change, the way she huffed when Lucy tugged on her arm, pointing out what stores she wanted to visit later.

The way her hair shone extra red in the sunlight, the peaches and cream complexion of her skin, the soft, delicate touch of her hand on his arm, all things he had missed. And she seemed as oblivious as ever, just like she had been back in their Hogwarts days. Back then she never seemed to catch him when he watched her, or notice the spring in his step when she casually dismissed other boys. Her grey cloak swished in the air, brining out the color in her eyes.

They arrived at the bank and easily went through the large, brass doors, no extra security stopping them. No one shied away from meeting his eye. No one feared him, and who he was associated with, here. Lily confidently walked up to a free goblin and requested to go to their vault, presenting a small brass key that the goblin briefly inspected before calling over another to lead them.

The second goblin was no more pleasant then the previous. Snape didn't have a liking of Goblins, and for most goblins the feeling towards wizards was mutual. The other goblin, who Lily seemed to somewhat know (which Snape discovered after she tried to exchange pleasantries, to which to Goblin quickly shot her down) brought them to a cart and they took a short ride down into the caves below London.

Their shared vault had an admirable pile of galleons, knuts, and sickles, more then Snape ever had seen in his own vault, but not enough to count as a small fortune. Lily put some into a leather pouch which she slipped back into her cloak. Lucy wanted to be left in the vault overnight, thinking it would be like an ultimate sleepover and hoping to see a dragon. Lily managed to talk her out of it. They all got back on the cart and went back to the surface.

Leaving the unhappy goblin behind in the main room of the bank, the three-person family departed.

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Back on the familiar yet foreign streets of Diagon Alley, Snape followed behind Lily and Lucy like a shadow as they walked through the crowds.

He watched over them carefully, not wanting them to disappear and him to find they had never been there in the first place. As he watched them he watched the world around him. Everything was the same, yet different. No one was really looking at him, and when they did look, they immediately looked away.

It was not fear that caused them to look away. Not like before when he had been one of the most feared death eaters to walk the streets. It was not fear. But it was something.

One pair of eyes didn't immediately turn away when they met Snape's. The cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy stayed firm and disapproving. It was when the family had stopped at a stall of herbs and other various potion ingredients. Lily didn't seem to notice his presence, but Snape stepped closer to her and put his hands on Lily and Lucy's shoulders protectively. He met the glare with his own hardened stare, and a frown he had become so accustom to but had not worn once this day.

Malfoy was with his own family. The lemon sour face of Narcissa and the smug one of Draco.

Draco was just a boy. A little boy. Judging by the looks of him, he was eleven, and out shopping for Hogwarts. Snape could tell by the assortment of bags from the various shops, and the way Draco glanced at Olivander's with a hungry and excited look.

Last time Snape had seen Draco… it had been in the headquarters. Draco had looked so frail and ill. So scared and out of his element. And Narcissa…

The image of her begging Snape to save Draco's life still burned in the back of his head. But this Narcissa was not that Narcissa. She looked over at Snape and gave him a cold dismissive glance. Draco didn't seem to notice the object of his parent's displeasure and marched off towards Ollivander's. They followed, but Malfoy turned around and gave Snape one more sneer.

Snape did not want to dwell upon what this exchange meant. That would be later. If there was a later. Now was a time to be with his family.

His family. He was a father. Oh god. Snape was no where near getting used to this.

They went along there merry way, completing everything Lily wanted to get done. Lucy got her robes, Lily got her book, and they got the food for the owl Snape had yet to meet. It was boring tedious shopping. It was brilliant.

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On their way out they ran into another person Snape thought he'd never see again. This person he was not particularily glad to see, whether they were younger and healthier then when he last saw them or not.

Remus Lupin stood there, looking scruffy and annoying. Not even they shared time and goal in the Order of the Phoenix had changed his opinion of the man.

Lupin stayed the boy in school with the terrible secret, who allowed his friends to reek the havoc that they did. He was the boy who could have done something but stayed silent.

Snape had no idea how much had changed in this world, but by looking into the eyes of this Lupin, he didn't see the mutual resentment.

"Remus! It's been awhile, how are you?" Lily exclaimed, going up to him and giving him a friendly hug. Snape stopped himself from yanking her away.

"I've been fine, Lily. Just fine. You know how it is these days. One job to another. In between jobs at the time. Doing fine. How is your job doing?"

"That's too many fines for me. My job is going well, you know that. But it doesn't matter. You look too thin. Come over for dinner sometime this week."

"No, I don't need a home cooked meal. You know I am not completely starving for meals."

"Eating out at a tavern every night doesn't count as a properly home-cooked meal. And you can't fool me that you have been doing so every night. How is your Thursday night?"

"Lily," Remus tried, but Lily was having none of it.

"So it's decided. Thursday. Show up at six. And if your late, I'll give you a smack!" Lily raised a small fist.

"She isn't really going to smack you," Lucy whispered. "She says that all the time but it never happens."

"That's because you're too cute," Lupin smiled back. "She's smacked me many times before, and many times to come."

Lucy giggled and moved to hide her face in Snape's robes. Snape place a hand on her head and looked at Lupin mistrustfully. He disliked the fact that this man who was not his friend seemed to know his daughter more then he did.

"Serverus. How are you?" Lupin asked, with a cough and in a polite tone. Snape sensed Lupin sensed Snape's tenseness.

"I was doing better." Snape muttered.

"Severus! That was rude. What's gotten in to you?" Lily chided in a hushed tone.

Snape stayed silent, unsure what to do. Was he on friendly terms with Lupin? Were they still old enemies? Did they play nice in front of Lily or did they actually bond on some level? They were apparently on first name basis. He was on first name bases with a werewolf? No, he shouldn't think like that… should he? Why was Lupin looking at him now like that?

"It's fine. I'll be of, then. See you, err, Thursday."

"Thursday." Lily confirmed and waved him off. When he was a good distance away Lily jabbed Snape in the side. "Keep this up and we'll never have friends over for dinner again."

"Sorry." Snape let out, feeling sorry for upsetting Lily, not the way he acted towards Lupin. Today was… Saturday? Sunday? What day was it?

A warm hand slid into his and Snape lost his train of thought and was drawn once again into Lily.

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Dinner as nice. Lily made it from scratch, little magic involved at all. It tasted amazing.

After dinner they all sat together in the sitting room. Lucy went back to her coloring, and Lily and he each were reading books. Snape picked up one that was bookmarked halfway through and started where he guess he had left off. It was a book about potions theory. He didn't really read it, only skimmed the pages as he stole glances at Lily and Lucy.

Lucy fell asleep into her coloring pages sometime around eight and Lily tutted, saying she never got to give her a bath. Snape offered to help put her to bed, but Lily brushed him off and did what she must have done thousands of times before.

Snape watched the two most precious things in his new life ascend the stairs. He couldn't wait long until he followed them and arrived at the top of the stairs just in time to see Lily closing the door to Lucy's room. She yawned.

"Let's go to bed." He said, breaking the silence

He grabbed her hand and placed it between his own hand. It was so soft and warm. Lily stepped closer until he towered over her, staring down into her almond-shaped eyes. The eyes that ended and started it all. She stood on her toes and closed the distance between their lips, giving him a long and sweet kiss. She took advantage of their tangled hands and led him to the bedroom they shared.

A short time later Snape found himself standing in the bathroom doorway looking into a dark room with a Lily laying on the bed. A marriage routine of getting ready for bed that Snape had to learn on the fly left Snape craving for more. The Lily he looked at had her eyes closed; her face serene. She rolled over, turning her back to him and snuggling into the pillow. Not wanting to be parted anymore he walked over to the bed and got in, his heart as light as air.

Snape kissed the back of her head and wrapped his arms around her, scooting in close so he feel the warmth of her living body close to his. For whatever reason he was here, and things were the way they were, he could think about it tomorrow.

**Thanks for reading! Please feel free to review! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far and shown interest in my story! Sorry I was a jerk and made you wait long. Just a warning, if you read this story, be prepared to get hit 'right in the feels'.**


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